- Travis Head's celebration sparked an explosive reaction
- Head's wife has suffered an avalanche of vile abuse
Travis Head has humorously attacked Indian cricket fans who misinterpreted his MCG celebration and attacked his wife with vile attacks on social media.
The Australian batsman had plenty to celebrate on Sunday afternoon after helping seal a 3-1 series win over India with a six-wicket win at the SCG.
Head was one of Australia's best players but became embroiled in controversy during the Boxing Day Test when he staged a bizarre celebration after claiming the wicket of Rishabh Pant.
He pretended to repeatedly dip his right index finger into a glass full of ice, as if to cool it down, but many Indian fans thought he was making a rude, sexually charged gesture to insult his team.
Channel Seven commentator and Australian captain Pat Cummins explained that Head was going back to his incredible run of winning 4-10 against Sri Lanka in 2022, after which he said he had to cool his finger because he was on a good run with the ball.
It wasn't long before they lashed out at Head on social media.
Angry fans attacked Travis Head and his wife after the Australian star's bizarre celebration during the Boxing Day test (pictured)
Head made reference to the incident in a cheeky Instagram post following Australia's victory in Sydney to take the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Former international player and politician Navjot Singh Sidhu demanded that Head face sanctions for insulting the nation of India.
“Travis Head's unpleasant behavior during the course of the Melbourne Test does not bode well for the gentleman's game,” Sidhu wrote in X.
'(This) sets the worst possible example when there are children, women, young people and the elderly watching the game.
'This caustic behavior did not insult an individual but a nation of 1.5 billion Indians.
'There is a need to impose a strict punishment on him that will serve as a deterrent to future generations so that no one dares to do the same!!!'
Hundreds of comments subsequently poured in on Head on social media, and even his wife, Jessica.
Jessica, who gave birth to the couple's second child last month, saw her Instagram account bombarded with vile comments and pig emojis.
On Sunday night after the win, Head reignited the controversy by posting a photo of his finger in a beer glass along with the caption “Ooppss.”
After the match, Head told the media that he was looking forward to a break with his family after the grueling Test series.
Head's wife Jessica (pictured alongside the star) suffered a vile social media backlash with her social media feeds flooded with nasty messages and pig emojis.
“It's just nice to contribute,” he said.
'I'm not too worried about what the outcome might be. I just realized we're in the World Test Championship.
'I forgot about that in what has been a crazy three days. “It's been busy and I'm looking forward to 10 days off.”